Kristy Vernon

Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship in Technology and Communications sponsored by Telstra

Media Profile

“One challenge facing researchers worldwide is the reliable detection of single molecules, which will enable detection of miniscule traces of substance e.g. small traces of a lethal gas, viruses in the blood, etc. The detection of single molecules would be a scientific feat in the world of sensing.”

Kristy Vernon has received the prestigious 2007 Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship in Technology and Communications sponsored by Telstra, the major provider of communications services in Australia. The Scholarship, announced by Telstra in May 2004, is aimed at helping nurture the next generation of technology and communication professionals ‘…whose ideas and leadership will shape the future of our world’.

Kristy is currently undertaking a PhD in Physics (Applied Optics) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) on an Australian Postgraduate Award and Vice-Chancellor’s and Smart State Top up Awards.

She is a Bachelor of Science (Physics) Graduate with First Class Honours from Queensland University of Technology which she completed in three years through a Dean’s Scholar Accelerated Honours Program. Throughout her undergraduate studies she received a wide range of awards including the University Medal, the Dean’s Award for Excellence, and the Head of Schools Award for Excellence in Math.

Through her Fulbright Scholarship, Kristy will undertake research at UC Berkeley towards her Australian PhD, investigating nano-sensors, capable of detecting trace amounts of a substance down to single molecules. “This development has great potential for areas such as medical research and security,” explains Kristy. The development of efficient ways of focusing light to the nano-scale not only has applications in sensing, it also provides efficient ways of coupling light into nano-scale waveguides and inter-connectors, paving the way for the development of nano-scale optical circuits. Such circuits would revolutionise the computing and communications industry.

“The USA is at the forefront of optics research plus studying in the U.S. will expose me to new and exciting ideas and techniques,” explains Kristy. “The fabrication of nano-scale metal devices is a complicated process, and few universities in Australia have this expertise”.

“To develop nano-optical sensors capable of single molecule detection you need very strong and localised optical fields to probe the molecules. One of the most promising developments for the detection of small concentrations of molecules is using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). SERS is based on the fact that electromagnetic waves scattered from different molecules can exhibit unique signatures, much like a fingerprint.”

“The main problem with the detection is obtaining a sufficiently strong electromagnetic field to obtain measurable SERS signals from scattering off a few (or a single) molecule. This technique is called surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, as special types of surfaces are required to achieve such a strong enhancement of the light field. I will research the possibility of using metallic nano-structures to enhance the electromagnetic field and thus allow the detection and analysis of single molecules. This is one of the key areas of research in the Applied Optics Group at QUT, and has been initiated by my supervisor Dr Dmitri Gramotnev in close collaboration with Dr. David Pile currently a post-doctoral fellow at UC Berkeley.”

“Working with leaders in the field will be highly beneficial to my research, leading it in new directions and perhaps resulting in new applications never before discussed. I also look forward to sharing the knowledge, experience and expertise I gain at Berkeley when I return to Australia and help contribute to the ongoing research in the Applied Optics Group,” stated Kristy.